Exactly two years ago, the French justice system initiated an unprecedented investigation into Telegram, charging the messenger's founder with refusing to cooperate with authorities. Today, Pavel Durov not only denies guilt but is also going on the offensive, pointing to the weakness of the prosecution's position.
Evolution of the French investigation
Having begun in August 2024 with Durov's three-day detention in Paris—the maximum allowed period before charges are filed—the case has come a long way. French prosecutors then, for the first time in history, held the head of a major platform accountable for the actions of its users. By November 2025, restrictions had eased: the travel ban was lifted, and Durov no longer needed to regularly check in with police.
However, the investigation itself remains open. The prosecutor's office is examining whether Telegram facilitated crimes and whether it cooperated insufficiently with law enforcement. Durov insists: two years of collected data completely dismantle the prosecution's arguments.
Hidden requests and pressure on the platform
According to Durov, a systemic problem has come to light during this time: officials from various countries have unofficially asked Telegram for political favors—from banning publications to surveillance. Refusal triggers campaigns in local media and human rights organizations. He has already described similar scenarios in the context of elections in Romania and Moldova, and, together with Elon Musk, accused European regulators of using the topic of child safety as a pretext for pressure.
The platform's own statistics are telling: over the past year, Telegram blocked 23.6 million groups and channels, including 370,777 related to child exploitation and 164,099 related to terrorist content. These figures, according to Durov, demonstrate that the messenger's moderation is on par with competitors. The comparison with Meta, in whose ad library more than 50 ads with AI-generated child pornography were recently found, only strengthens his argument.
Institutional shift in France
Notably, resistance is growing within France itself to President Emmanuel Macron's policy regarding online platforms. The country's Constitutional Council has already overturned the ban on social media use by children under 15, citing freedom of expression. This is a first warning sign for prosecutors, who may face criticism of their own legal framework.
On Monday, the GRAM token, associated with the Telegram ecosystem, was trading around $1.47, down approximately 3% over the day. The market has not yet priced in the potential consequences of this case, but in the coming months it will become clear whether French authorities will decide to take the investigation to court or prefer to quietly wind it down.
My analysis: The situation around Telegram is a stress test for the entire decentralized communications industry. If the charges are dropped, it will set a precedent protecting platforms from liability for user actions. If the case goes to court, the consequences could be felt not only by the crypto community but also by everyone who values privacy in the digital age.